Does It Actually Matter Where You Go For School?

[thespiffybunny]

Hi just curious if it actually matters (in terms of getting jobs) which school you attend for Occupational Therapy. Do employers care where you got your degree from or is it more based on experience/interview skills? 

Thanks!

[MDwannabe02]

I doubt very many employers will bias certain schools during the hiring process, but it's possible.

[marinaOT]

I will be starting OT school in the fall, so I can't speak from experience. However, I think finding a job as an OT would be a lot like other professions: your network matters. The connections you build in school - whether via your fellow students, professors and preceptors - will help you once you graduate. So I could see an advantage to studying closer to where you want to end up working one day because other OT professionals in that region will know who you are and what you are about. Of course you can build/re-build that network wherever you are but it's nice to graduate with a few contacts already!

[PTea]

I remember reading in one of the threads that some employers recognize McMaster’s problem based learning format and may be more willing to hire graduates from there because of that?   However, I doubt that’s the case for most job opportunities you’ll come across.

There’s also OttawaU’s program which is only offered in French, meaning graduates will be able to say that they are fully bilingual and that’s definitely an asset when looking for jobs. 

Overall though, I don’t think it matters too much which school you go to – they’re all reputable! 

[crystal93]

I think there are other threads like this one if you scroll lower down 

 

I remember reading in one of the threads that some employers recognize McMaster’s problem based learning format and may be more willing to hire graduates from there because of that?   However, I doubt that’s the case for most job opportunities you’ll come across.

There’s also OttawaU’s program which is only offered in French, meaning graduates will be able to say that they are fully bilingual and that’s definitely an asset when looking for jobs. 

Overall though, I don’t think it matters too much which school you go to – they’re all reputable! 

Note that for Ottawa you don't need to be fully bilingual, and even some of the students I met at the interviews said their English wasn't strong. Ottawa states that applicants must be strong in French and passable in English. If you're bilingual you can just mention that on your CV